Hi everyone! I'm Rika, a semi-international '28 from Japan, India, and Malaysia. I'm interested in studying women, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as public policy, global health, and biology while also being on the pre-health track! In my free time, I love to read books, cook and bake, play violin, spend time with animals, be sarcastic, and drink hot drinks (especially teas)! I'm so excited to share my exploration of Dartmouth with everyone :)
Academic Program
Intended WGSS on the Pre-Health track
Favorite Thing Right Now
Decorating my dorm to make it more homey! Also the FOCO ice cream bar :)
This weekend, the Dartmouth Programming Boardbrought inLaundry Day, a pop-rock band from New York, to perform for us on campus! Honestly, I didn't know much about the band, but my friend was a bit of a super fan, so at 8:30 sharp, we found ourselves waiting for the doors of Sarner Underground to open. We flooded through the doors and speed-walked our way into the venue, securing our front-row standing space.
Front row!
The band was so incredibly talented, and they mixed genres of pop, alternative, rock, and rap with their catchy songs and unique covers. The crowd's favorite cover was their encore, 'Party In the USA.' Some of their songs included calls and responses, and they taught us the words so we could sing along, which was really fun to do. The band was also very funny, often cracking jokes in between songs, like shouting out the big pole that was blocking a lot of people's view, as well as doing"one last scroll" on TikTok, which was scheduled to be banned from the US that night. They also cleverly changed the lyrics to their song Harvard from "Harvard on my chest as I bounce around" to "Dartmouth on my chest," which, of course, was a crowd hit.
The setlist
I haven't been to many live concerts before, so this was a really fun way to have a front-row experience with my friends. We swayed with our phone flashlights above us, jumped up and down to the rapid beat, and shouted out the lyrics when the microphone was pointed to the crowd. I discovered that I enjoy the pop-rock genre a lot more than I previously thought, and Laundry Day has already been added to my rotation of favorite artists. I had so much fun, and this is such a cool example of the fun things that are always happening on campus. For some fans, this concert was a must-see, while for others (like me), it was a happy, spontaneous event that ended up being one of the best nights I've had on campus.
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
It's my first spring ever (!!!) and I have been blown away by the beautiful scenery that continues to bloom right in front of my eyes. Here are some of my favorite scenes from campus in spring!
